动物
dòngwù
The English word "animals" is translated into Chinese as 动物 (dòngwù).
动物 refers to living creatures that can move and breathe, excluding humans.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 动 (dòng), meaning 'to move' and 物 (wù), meaning 'thing' or 'matter'.
How does it change in a sentence?
By adding the particle 的 after 动物, you create the form 动物的, which functions as a possessive (animal's) or as an adjective to modify a noun (of the animal).
How do you pronounce it?
dòngwù
Did you know?
- In the Chinese zodiac, the 'rabbit' 兔 is the animal represented, but in some Vietnamese traditions, this same position is held by the 'cat' 猫.
- In traditional Chinese culture, some animals like the 'dragon' 龙 are considered 'spiritual animals' 灵兽, placing them in a different category than ordinary 动物.
- The term for 'pet' is 宠物, which uses the character for 'person' or 'servant' rather than the 'animal' character itself.
Examples in context
- 她确实喜欢动物。She really does like animals.This sentence shows how to express a preference for animals using 动物.Tatoeba #3032019 by sadhen, translation #3041624 by alec
- 我喜欢动物，除了猫。Apart from cats, I like animals.This sentence uses 动物 to show an exception to a preference.Tatoeba #1372498 by sadhen, translation #282071 by jakov
- 动物们都吃得够多了。The animals already ate enough.This sentence uses 动物 to refer to animals that have already eaten.Tatoeba #5085556 by Jubilee11, translation #5085438 by Airvian
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Haoran are walking through a zoo.
- 梓涵 Zihan这里的动物都很有精神。Zhèlǐ de dòngwù dōu hěn yǒu jīngshén.The animals here all look very energetic.
- 浩然 Haoran是的，它们看起来很健康。Shì de, tāmen kàn qǐlái hěn jiànkāng.Yes, they look very healthy.
- 梓涵 Zihan你最喜欢什么样的动物？Nǐ zuì xǐhuān shénmeyàng de dòngwù?What kind of animals do you like most?
- 浩然 Haoran我最喜欢大熊猫。Wǒ zuì xǐhuān dàxióngmāo.I like giant pandas the most.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
